Opening in December 2025, the Zayed National Museum will feature six permanent galleries spanning 300,000 years of history. Image: Abu Dhabi Media Office Culture Abu Dhabi’s bold bid to become a global art capital Pouring billions into museums and fairs, Abu Dhabi leads the Gulf’s cultural development. But it has grander ambitions: to become the world’s next art capital. By Staff Writer • 5 min read
Culture In Conversation: Hanan Sayed Worrell, Cultural Strategist and Place-maker From airports and museums to wildlife conservation and authorship, the civil engineer turned placemaker has spent three decades translating Abu Dhabi's vision into built reality. Now, she reflects on the art of creating spaces that honour heritage whilst inviting what's next. By Staff Writer • 6 min read
In Conversation In Conversation: Raya Abu Gulal, Founder, R.A.G Legal Consultancy From Abu Dhabi to The Hague, the award-winning legal advisor reflects on the Gulf's rapid transformation, the power of clear laws, and why women's leadership is central to progress. By Staff Writer • 3 min read
Luxury Luxury Made Local: Hospitality, Discretion, and Enduring Equity in the Gulf In the second of two pieces on luxury and cultural fluency in the Gulf, Taqua Malik, founder of Freedomvisory, explores how hospitality, discretion and community contribution transform presence into lasting equity. By Taqua Malik • 3 min read
Culture Luxury in Translation: From Words to Meaning in the Gulf Global luxury codes matter in the Gulf, but cultural fluency is what transforms transactions into lasting relationships, writes Taqua Malik, founder of Freedomvisory, a leading Middle East cultural intelligence advisor. By Taqua Malik • 3 min read
Technology The Passport Moment: Why Luxury’s Next Advantage Is Proof, Not Promise The most valuable logo in luxury won’t sit on a clasp or heel: it will live inside a code. DPPs are moving from regulation to relevance, turning provenance into the industry’s next competitive edge. By Staff Writer • 3 min read
In Conversation In Conversation: Mo Shadman, Chalhoub Group's Director of Intelligence The Gulf’s luxury economy is entering a new chapter. Chalhoub Group’s 2025 insights reveal a market outpacing the world on every metric — fuelled by ambitious investment, evolving consumers, and an ecosystem where retail, tourism, and storytelling now converge. By Staff Writer • 6 min read
Image: Hub71 Technology How Hub71 Is Rewiring the Gulf’s Startup Ambition Abu Dhabi’s founder ecosystem is maturing fast — combining policy, capital, and AI depth to attract a new generation of global builders. By Julienna Law • 3 min read
Photo by Immo Wegmann / Unsplash Technology AI meets Arabic: the race to build culturally fluent chatbots For 400 million Arabic speakers, ChatGPT falls short. Local AI is filling the gap. By Staff Writer • 4 min read
Gulf shoppers expect localised designs and modest silhouettes within a brand’s collection. Image: Brunello Cucinelli The Gulf The Meridio Edit: four trends defining Gulf luxury in 2025 In this inaugural edition of The Meridio Edit - our curated list of trends, brands, and people driving change in the Middle East - we examine four themes defining Gulf luxury in 2025. By Staff Writer • 4 min read
In Conversation In Conversation: Snow Li, Investor and Art Collector From Shanghai to Abu Dhabi, from manufacturing to museums, Snow Fei Nan Li’s journey is one of scale and purpose: shaping industries, bridging continents, and redefining what cultural diplomacy means in the 21st century. By Staff Writer • 4 min read
Welcome to The Meridio From mega-projects to cultural renaissances, the Middle East is transforming at speed. The Meridio, an initiative by Reuter Ventures, aims to distil the noise into insight, spotlighting the people and ideas shaping what comes next. By Shashin Surti • 1 min read
